


As Subtle as a Brick through a Window, as Gentle as a Blow to the Gut

by nonbinarycoded



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, meaning this is kinda sad sorry guys, right after The Departure happened, spoilers up through episode 85, this takes place vaguely at the end of 85 or the beginning of 86
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 19:37:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9840950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonbinarycoded/pseuds/nonbinarycoded
Summary: There were times for bluntness, for brute force- Grog knew that better than anyone. But there were times when being subtle was better, when situations required a more gentle touch. Pike mourning over Scanlan fell solidly into the second category. It wasn't that Grog didn't want to help, he just wasn't sure how to help when fixing this required words and subtlety and emotions and all the icky bits he tried to leave for other people.Or, the one where Grog tries to comfort Pike after Scanlan's fucked off.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Done as a prompt from ladedanixie on tumblr! The prompt: "Subtle kindnesses. Grog and Pike. Or Grog and any other critrole character."

Grog was…

Well, he tried to be subtle. Really, he did. That was just difficult for someone whose usual idea of ‘subtlety’ amounted to, “I’ll scream slightly quieter when I swing my greataxe this time.” But he was smarter than the rest of the group gave him credit for, and he was able to pick up on when situations required finesse most of the time.

Half of the time.

At  _ least _ ten percent of the time.

He was able to tell that  _ this  _ situation at the very least required a more gentle approach than he was used to giving. Everyone was hurting over Scanlan’s departure, Pike more so than most. She’d separated from the group and thrown herself into temple work, nearly exhausting herself with it. Grog was familiar with this; thinking could hurt, and it hurt less if you were fighting or working or doing anything else to ease the burden a little.

This was how he found himself trying very hard not to think, and instead marching straight into the temple where Pike had stationed herself. Grog thought to pick her up and carry her off to the side, but Scanlan’s shouts about how he’d felt like a doll because of that rang in his ears. He settled for resting a colossal hand on her shoulder.

“C’mere.”

“What?” Pike asked, face kept carefully blank even when she recognized who it was. Grog nodded off to the side of the temple, towards a ledge out of the way.

“C’mere,” he repeated himself, and Pike hesitated but nodded. The two set off to the ledge together. Grog sat on it easily, and Pike hoisted herself up eventually.

“Grog, are you okay?” she asked, worry creasing her face.

Grog, for once in his life, thought about the question carefully. “...Nah. None of us are, I don’t think. We’re all hurting a little.” He left his answer at that instead of asking if she was okay in return. He already knew the answer.

Pike sighed. Silence stretched between them, long and not-quite-amiable. Just comfortable. Two friends, comfortable in the knowledge they were experiencing the same heartbreak and didn’t have to hide it from each other.

“You know I know you best, right?” Grog asked suddenly. Pike frowned, then nodded. “I  _ know _ you. I know you’re-” He broke off, his brain scrambling to keep up with his mouth which had gotten far ahead of what he had words for. “You don’t have to hide shit is all, yeah? ...I’m here for you, same as you’re here for me.”

It was difficult for him to be subtle. It wasn’t that he didn’t try, it was that his brain didn’t want to analyze anything long enough to catch deeper meanings, to understand intricacies. It was far easier, in his opinion, to outright say shit. Less confusing for people. Less room for misunderstandings if you don’t try to be sneaky about it. That was a problem, obviously, for his friends. See, when you outright say shit, people can’t say they didn’t know. People can’t just up and leave because being subtle had gotten the wrong point across and even your best friend couldn’t keep up with what was the truth and what was implied and what was-

Pike, for her part, was very good at picking up on subtleties. She was also very good at remembering that this was Grog she was talking to, and this was as subtly as he could say, “I know you’re hurting too. I want to help.”

She reached out and took his massive hand in her minuscule one, then squeezed. “Thanks, Grog.” She offered up a smile as she said it, truly grateful that she had him on her side. Grog always thought it was funny that her holy symbol made her glow. She’d been glowing as long as he’d known her, he thought. There was something about her, something that made the room feel brighter when she smiled. He hated seeing her after a loss like this.   
  
“Course. You’re my best buddy. We gotta look out for each other, you know?” Pike absolutely beamed at that, then leaned in to hug him as best as she could.   
  
“Yeah, I know. You’re my best buddy too. Thanks for coming to check on me.”

“...You know,” Grog said, in a way that suggested he was again trying very hard to be subtle and this time failing miserably, “You’ve been cooped up in here a while.”

“Wanna go do something in the town?” It was a good idea, she thought, to get their minds off of what had happened. It was a good idea to make it Grog-and-Pike again, off having fun together. Even if it was only for an afternoon.

“I thought you’d never ask.” Grog stood from the ledge, then offered a hand that Pike forewent so she could leap down herself. Once safely on the ground, she took his hand, and with a brief glance around at the temple—  _ it would be fine without her for a few hours, it had been before—  _ they set off into the city together.


End file.
